Does Spinal Decompression Help a Bulging Disc? | Chula Vista, CA

If you've been told you have a bulging disc, there's a good chance your next question is: what can I actually do about it?

For some patients, Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression may be an option.

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC has treated disc problems for more than 22 years and has performed more than 100,000 spinal decompression treatments. Bulging discs are something he evaluates every week.

But he doesn't recommend spinal decompression simply because those words appear on an MRI report.

Some disc bulges don't cause symptoms at all. Others are in exactly the wrong place and can irritate a nerve enough to cause significant sciatica, numbness, tingling or weakness.

The question is whether your bulging disc makes sense with what you're experiencing.

Dr. Boelk's San Diego clinic has seven DRX9000 systems and is the largest known Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression clinic in Southern California. He also trains other doctors in spinal decompression protocols and techniques.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I Came in Early January Not Able to Bend and Walking With a Limp”

“I am EXTREMELY happy I did not have surgery and found Dr. Boelk.”

“Dr. Boelk and his team are the best in the business! I have had lower back problems for over 5 years and been to 6 other doctors seeking options other than surgery. I came in early January not able to bend and walking with a limp. By February I was able to bend again with minimal pain and by March I am now able to bend without any pain and am able to walk normally.

I am EXTREMELY happy I did not have surgery and found Dr. Boelk. Trust him and the process and he will get you feeling better. He also said from the beginning that if at any stage in the process he felt like progress wasn't happening he would let me know which was not the case with other specialist I have seen in the past so I appreciate that.”

— Calder Pearce, San Diego, CA

Calder had dealt with lower-back problems for more than five years and had already seen six other doctors. By the time he came to Dr. Boelk, he couldn't bend normally and was walking with a limp.

One part of his review is especially important: Dr. Boelk told him from the beginning that if he wasn't progressing, they would talk about it.

That's how spinal decompression should be approached.

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Have a Bulging Disc and Want to Know If Decompression Makes Sense?

Bring your MRI.

Dr. Boelk offers a No-Charge Consultation where he'll personally sit down with you, look at what's going on and tell you whether he believes you're a candidate for Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression.

If you have your actual MRI images, bring those along with the report.

Dr. Boelk will look at:

• Which disc is bulging.

• Where the bulge is located.

• Whether a nerve appears to be involved.

• Where your pain, numbness or tingling travels.

• Whether you're experiencing weakness.

• What happens when you sit, stand, bend or walk.

• What you've already tried.

• What activities you've had to give up or cut back on.

• Whether the MRI actually matches your symptoms.

• Whether spinal decompression makes sense for your particular case.

If you don't have an MRI yet, that's okay.

You can still come in and go through your history with Dr. Boelk.

There is no charge and no obligation to begin treatment.

You're not making a decision about starting spinal decompression. You're simply finding out whether Dr. Boelk believes it is an option worth considering.

Because Dr. Boelk performs these consultations personally while continuing to treat his existing patients, only a limited number can be set aside in the schedule.

Call 619-298-0800 and ask about the next available No-Charge Consultation with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC.

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Can a Bulging Disc Get Better Without Surgery?

In many cases, having a bulging disc doesn't automatically mean surgery.

What matters is what the disc is doing.

Dr. Boelk looks at the MRI, but he also looks at the person sitting in front of him.

Are you getting better or worse?

Is the pain staying in the back or traveling down the leg?

Is numbness becoming more frequent?

Are you losing strength?

Can you still work?

Can you exercise?

Can you walk comfortably?

Are you sleeping?

Those questions tell Dr. Boelk much more about how significant the problem is.

There are certainly situations where surgery needs to be considered. But the presence of a disc bulge by itself doesn't answer that question.

What Is the DRX9000 Trying to Accomplish?

The DRX9000 provides controlled Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression.

The goal is to reduce mechanical stress at the involved spinal segment and create a more favorable environment around the disc and surrounding structures.

Dr. Boelk doesn't describe this as simply “pulling the spine apart.”

It's also different from hanging upside down or using an inversion table at home.

Treatment is controlled and directed at the spinal area involved.

Dr. Boelk has seven DRX9000 systems in his clinic because spinal decompression has been a major focus of his practice for more than two decades. It isn't something the office occasionally adds onto another treatment.

Will Spinal Decompression Put the Bulging Disc Back in Place?

This is one of the most common questions Dr. Boelk gets.

His answer is usually more measured than what patients may have seen online.

A bulging disc isn't something that simply gets pushed back into place.

The purpose of decompression is to change the mechanical environment around the involved spinal segment and reduce stress on the disc and surrounding structures.

Then Dr. Boelk watches the patient.

If you started with pain running all the way into your foot and now it stops around the thigh, that's useful.

If you could only sit for 15 minutes and now you're comfortable for an hour, that's useful.

If you couldn't walk around the grocery store without your leg going numb and now you can, that's useful.

Those are the kinds of changes that matter.

What If My MRI Shows More Than One Bulging Disc?

This is very common.

An MRI may show disc changes at several levels.

Maybe there is a bulge at L3-L4, another at L4-L5 and something else going on at L5-S1.

That doesn't necessarily mean all three levels are causing your symptoms.

Dr. Boelk wants to know which finding best matches what you're experiencing.

That's one reason he prefers seeing the actual MRI images instead of only reading the report.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I Have Returned to 100%. Life for Me Is Completely Different.”

“I have suffered from leg numbness and low back pain for 4 years.”

“Hi my name is Rosa Algravez. I have suffered from leg numbness and low back pain for 4 years. I haven’t been able to do groceries or even take baths without pain. I looked for relief with various doctors with no luck. I have done treatments ranging from chiropractic to acupuncture. My husband found Dr. Boelk in the newspaper and we decided since we had tried everything else that we were going to give this a try. After my first few treatments, I feel as though I have returned to 100%. Life for me is completely different.

My husband and I have returned to enjoying life. We travel 300+ miles everyday from Calexico. I can do things now with little to no limitations. The staff makes you feel welcomed and it’s a very family environment. The payments are easy and I would recommend this to anyone suffering with low back pain. Thank You”

— Rosa Algravez, Age 58, Calexico, CA

Rosa had been dealing with leg numbness and lower-back pain for four years. She had already tried other treatments, and even grocery shopping and taking a bath had become difficult.

That's the type of functional loss Dr. Boelk pays attention to.

Don't Let the MRI Scare You Into Doing Nothing

There's another side to finding out you have a bulging disc.

Some people become afraid to move.

They stop exercising because they're worried they'll make the disc worse. They stop lifting. They avoid bending. They gradually do less and less.

Dr. Boelk doesn't want patients unnecessarily afraid of their spine.

That doesn't mean ignoring symptoms and pushing through everything either.

If an activity consistently causes pain to travel farther down the leg, increases numbness or produces neurological symptoms, that's worth paying attention to.

Sometimes activities need to be modified while the disc problem settles down.

The long-term goal is usually to get you doing more again, not less.

Who May Be a Candidate for Spinal Decompression?

Dr. Boelk commonly evaluates patients with:

• Lumbar disc bulges.

• Lumbar disc herniations.

• L4-L5 disc injuries.

• L5-S1 disc injuries.

• Degenerative disc disease.

• Disc-related sciatica.

• Foraminal narrowing.

• Selected cases of spinal stenosis.

• Certain cases of chronic disc-related lower-back pain.

Whether you're actually a candidate depends on more than the diagnosis.

Dr. Boelk also considers previous surgery, hardware, spinal stability, bone health, neurological findings and other medical factors.

And Some Patients Shouldn't Have It

This matters just as much.

Spinal decompression isn't appropriate for everybody.

An unhealed spinal fracture, significant osteoporosis, unstable spondylolisthesis, certain malignancies and some situations involving surgical hardware can make decompression inappropriate. Pregnancy is also a contraindication for lumbar decompression.

Progressive neurological weakness needs to be taken seriously.

New bowel or bladder dysfunction, difficulty controlling or initiating urination, or numbness involving the groin, inner thighs or saddle region requires prompt medical evaluation.

Those symptoms need to be evaluated rather than waiting to see whether conservative treatment helps.

★ “Just Not in My Personal Case”

“Very nice Dr. and Honest!”

“Very nice Dr. and Honest ! I would definitely recommend anyone who hasn't had metal put in there back in a surgery to go to him and give his program a shot. I believe it would definitely help. Just not in my personal case. As I have a lot of hardware in my back. But I'm glad I took the time to meet with him. It was very informative all around.”

— Toni W., Lake Elsinore, CA

Toni wanted to find out whether Dr. Boelk's treatment could help her. Because of the amount of hardware in her back, he didn't accept her for spinal decompression.

She still felt the consultation was worth the trip.

That's why you don't need to know whether you want treatment before coming in.

First find out whether you're even a candidate.

More Than 22 Years Focused on Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC has performed more than 100,000 spinal decompression treatments during more than 22 years in practice.

His professional background includes:

• Doctor of Chiropractic

• Certified Spinal Decompression Doctor

• Certified Pain-Free Performance Specialist (PPSC)

• Founder, Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Training Academy

• Trains other doctors in spinal decompression protocols and techniques

• Founding Member, American Spinal Decompression Society

• Member, International Disc Education Association

• California X-Ray Radiation Supervisor & Operator

Dr. Boelk also understands spinal injuries personally. He suffered an L5 compression fracture at age 16 and later dealt with disc injuries and sciatica himself.

If You've Been Told You Have a Bulging Disc

Bring the MRI in.

Let Dr. Boelk look at the actual images instead of trying to make a treatment decision based on a few words in the report.

He'll compare what he sees with where you're hurting, what activities bring the symptoms on and what you've already tried.

Then he'll tell you whether he believes Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression is worth considering.

There is no charge and no obligation to begin treatment. The consultation is personally performed by Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC.

Because Dr. Boelk performs these consultations himself while continuing to care for his existing patients, only a limited number can be accommodated in the clinic schedule.

Call 619-298-0800 and ask about the next available No-Charge Consultation.

The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego
5095 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 300
San Diego, CA 92123

619-298-0800
SanDiegoBackCare.com

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